


Nothing But A Monster

by TheLethalSperg500



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alive Rose Quartz, Angst with a Happy Ending, As they should have been, Body Horror, Corrupted Steven Universe, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone is here! - Freeform, F/M, Jasper Redemption (Steven Universe), Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLethalSperg500/pseuds/TheLethalSperg500
Summary: Basically my version of how I Am My Monster should have gone down.
Relationships: Amethyst/Steven Universe, Bismuth/Pearl/Pink Diamond's Original Pearl | Volleyball, Bismuth/Steven Universe, Blue Diamond's Pearl/Pearl/Yellow Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond/Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Garnet/Steven Universe, Greg Universe/Steven Universe, Jasper/Steven Universe, Lapis Lazuli/Steven Universe, Lars Barriga & Off Colors, Lars Barriga/Emerald, Lars/Steven Universe, Pearl/Steven Universe, Peridot/Steven Universe, Pink Diamond's Pearl/Spinel (Steven Universe), Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe), Spinel/Steven Universe, Steven Universe/Everyone, White Diamond/Steven Universe, Yellow Diamond/Steven Universe
Comments: 41
Kudos: 89





	1. I'm a Fraud

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flynnaw00](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flynnaw00/gifts).



> Hey fellow Steven Universe fans, I'm here because I feel like I Am My Monster could have played out longer and a bit more different. Don't get me wrong, I liked what they did, but it could stand to use some refurbishing on my end.

Steven sighed as he took the Warp Pad back home. Trying to help out in Little Homeworld had been a disaster. He broke Bismuth's anvil, caused an army of Plant Stevens to come to life in Peridot's garden, and destroyed the Heaven and Earth Beetle's house. However, he was sure all of that could be fixed. Everything was fine, right?

"Steven!"

Hearing the concerned voice of Connie, Steven looked to see her there along with his dad, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, and Jasper. The latter of whom was standing with her head turned away. Steven still winced when he saw the broken-off horn.

Connie herself was greatly worried when she saw the state Steven was in. "I knew it! You are swelling and glowing again."

Steven sighed as Connie took out her phone. He really didn't want everybody worrying right now.

"I've been trying to call you, but I came as soon as I saw this."

Showing the phone to her friend, it depicted Steven doing some kind of weird dance with all too happy smile on his face while repeating 'Steven's here to help!' over and over again.

"What is going on?"

"I-I broadcast my subconscious sometimes these days. It's really no big deal." Steven assured as he approached his family. Jasper grunted but otherwise said nothing in return.

"Okay, but... I can tell something is bothering you."

As she said this, Connie showed Steven the recording again and it started glitching, Steven in the video seemingly saying 'Steven Help! Help Steven!'.

"Ah, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine! Awesome, in fact. Come on, you've seen me when I wasn't doing well." Steven said nervously, trying to assure his family that nothing was wrong, but in truth, it was more like he was trying to assure himself.

Greg softly looked at his son with eyes full of remorse. He had thought giving Steven space would have been the best choice but now he realized that wasn't the case. His son needed support, somebody to talk to.

"Steven, if being like this is what you want, then we'll support you one hundred percent. Whatever makes you happy. But, if you're not happy if something's wrong-"

"Nothing's wrong! Besides, I don't want you to worry." Steven said urgently but Connie, Greg, and the Gems still didn't look convinced.

"We ARE worried!"

"Steven. You know you can tell us anything." Greg softly said. Steven clenched his fists, the pink glow starting to become brighter as he felt cornered.

"IT'S THAT EASY! You know what?! I don't have to deal with this!"

Steven stormed to the front door but Pearl, Amethyst, and Connie moved in front of him. Pearl with a look of motherly concern and Amethyst holding her hands out protectively.

"Hold up, dude!"

"Steven..." Garnet said gently as she placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "You need to stop running."

"Please...let us help you, Schtu-ball." Greg said softly, holding his arms out to his son in an effort to show that he was safe.

Seizing up, Steven grabbed his head, emotions swirling around his head as stress built up, his face briefly swelling up, causing further concern for his loved ones.

"S-Steven, we should get you back to the hospital!" Connie said urgently.

"HOSPITAL?!" Pearl and Amethyst cried in shock. "When were you in the hospital?!"

"You didn't tell them?!" Connie asked, shocked that Steven would neglect to tell the people he loved most about his check-up with her mother.

Steven groaned, his back bulging out as he felt everything come to a boiling point. The shattering of Jasper, the leaving of all his friendships, the attempted murder of White Diamond, nearly causing Pearl and Volleyball to be rejuvenated, crashing the van and almost killing Greg, Connie's gentle rejection of his marriage proposal, all of this was coming down on him like a nuclear warhead.

And just like that...it all began to break down. The dam burst as he giggled weakly.

"It wasn't that important, you guys! You're making a big deal out of NOTHING! Have I done some things wrong? Sure! I trashed the house today! I broke an anvil, what teenager hasn't?! Dad and I had a little disagreement. That's practically a rite of passage! I mean, it would be weird if we didn't right?!"

Pearl, Connie, and Amethyst looked at Greg, who nervously looked to them as he couldn't find the words to explain what happened during his and Steven's road trip. Jasper, who had remained silent up until now, was now becoming more unnerved by her 'Diamonds' deteriorating state.

"...And maybe, I've had a not-so-nice thought or two about, like, you know, slamming White Diamond's head through a pillar." As he said this, Garnet silently gasped while Jasper looked in shock that Steven would attempt such a thing.

"...But it's not like I actually went through with it! I only actually shattered JASPER!"

Pearl gasped, holding a hand to her mouth as Amethyst turned to her 'sister' in shock, now starting to realize why she had started worshiping him as her 'Diamond' earlier. Connie, Greg, and Garnet all audibly gasped, as if they couldn't believe Steven, the boy who would never hurt a fly, would actually go with shattering a Gem.

"Y-You're joking, r-right?" Connie worriedly asked as Steven froze up as if now realizing what he had just said before grinning again.

"Oh, don't worry! I fixed that too! I can fix ANYTHING. I can just keep FUCKING up and fixing things forever, and you'll never have to know or think about any of it!"

"Steven..." Garnet whispered weakly, her eyes already building up tears behind her visor. She had hoped her Future Vision had been lying all this time, that Steven just needed space, but now she realized just what a bad place he was in.

His smile dropping, Steven placed a hand to his head, his heart heavy with regret as the emotional feedback of his actions began catching up with him.

"How FUCKED up is that? That I've gotten away with this for so long. You have NO idea how bad I am! You think I'm so great, and I'm so mature, and I always know what to do, but that's not true! I haven't learned a thing from my problems! They've all just made me WORSE!"

For Pearl, she felt horrified but not for herself, but for the boy she loved as her own son. All this time, he had been hurting, even at the skating rink when they, Connie, and Bismuth were together and having fun. She should have seen it sooner, what happened with Volleyball should have been a dead giveaway.

For Amethyst, she realized just how much Steven was hurting. She had figured he was dealing with some issues and had done her best to support him but he just kept pushing her away. She figured she should just give him space but now she realized she should have kept reaching out to him.

For Connie, her best friend, the boy she had feelings for since they were both 12, was going through so much. She had figured he would have told his family by now but she should have known he'd try bottling it up. Her heart ached as she knew just how hurt Steven was when she turned down his marriage proposal, she wanted to wait, but it seemed his emotional state wasn't in the mood.

For Garnet, she realized that Steven had been suffering so much while she and the others were so busy believing it was Happily Ever After for everyone. She had believed that Steven would find a way to resolve the issues on his own. Her Future Vision had shown him at the hospital long ago but she figured Greg would be able to help smooth things out with his fatherly support.

Speaking of Greg, he realized just how much he didn't know about his son. About how much struggling he was really going through. He already felt bad having hurt Steven during their road trip but he didn't know what he did wrong. Now, he realized that his son needed him to understand. But how could he understand when he knew next to nothing about Steven's trauma? In his heart, the man felt he had failed as a parent because he hadn't protected his son at all.

"You think of me as some ANGEL, some HERO, some savior of the galaxy, but, I'm NOT that kid anymore!...I'm a fraud..."

It all came down to this, Steven hadn't just become his mother, he had become even WORSE than her. Pink Diamond never shattered other Gems, even as Rose Quartz. She wasn't aware of how much her actions would have hurt. He knew that if she knew, she wouldn't have done them in the first place...but Steven, he knew of the mistakes he was leaving behind and he was fully aware of all the horrible things he had done.

He wasn't a hero, he was no longer the happy little boy who sang about Cookie Cat. He was no longer the one who believed that there was a Happily Ever After. He knew from Spinel that it didn't exist. And now there was nothing for him but to destroy all that he and his loved ones had built without a shred of remorse.

"My Diamond..." Jasper weakly said, stepping forward before being stopped by Amethsy, who gave her sister a cold glare.

Ah, how could he forget Jasper? He had hurt her so badly, shattered her so callously. And then when he tried to get help from the Diamonds, he tried to do it again to White Diamond. That time, he was perfectly willing to murder her in cold blood.

"I'm a fraud..."

A bubbling feeling began ripping through Steven's body. Pain filled his head as he clutched it tightly, curling up into himself as his family all worriedly stepped forward, preparing to console him as best they could.

_**"I'M A MONSTER!"** _

A pillar of light pink crystalline spikes ripped out of Steven's back, tearing through his shirt as his loved ones and Jasper all took a step back, gasping silently in horror. Steven began screaming in unbridled agony.

"STEVEN!" Pearl cried, tears building up in her eyes as she rushed towards her baby, but a bulky arm swatted her away. Jasper quickly moved and caught her in her arms as the arm Steven used to knock her back suddenly began tearing, the flesh ripping apart to show light pink reptilian skin.

"S-Steven...?" Connie worriedly asked as the pink spikes coming out of his back broke apart, forming what appeared to be spines. Steven's body began swelling and contorting in all different places before pieces of his skin popped like bubbles, revealing more reptilian skin underneath.

His legs became more quadruped like and sprouted talons from his toes, his arms became more muscular and his soft fingers turned into crooked claws. His mouth ruptured itself, forming into a hideous jagged maw as his eyes became pitch-black with white pinpricks. A pair of razor-sharp horns burst out of the sides of his head and a long, scaly tail burst out of his backside.

The boy's cries of pain and sorrow soon devolved into animalistic roars of fury and despair. His body grew larger and bulkier as he burst through the roof of the house, forcing the Gems, Connie, and Greg to run outside to avoid being crushed.

"H-Holy COW!" Greg screamed in disbelief at the abomination his little boy had turned into. Connie covered her mouth, tears building up in her eyes as Pearl fell to her knees as if all will had been sapped out of her. Amethyst looked like if she could vomit, she probably would while Garnet and Jasper unconsciously got on guard.

The rest of Beach City heard the thundering footsteps and looked to see a giant pink monster loom over the hillside before letting out a bloodcurdling roar of agony.


	2. Love & Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

Beach City was in a panic as they witnessed the pink Godzilla-esque monster looming by the mountainside. The beast let out another anguished cry, which echoed through the eardrums of everyone present.

The denizens of Little Homeworld, both human and Gem, could also see the massive figure in the distance. Lapis, who was helping Little Larimar with ice sculpting, had the highest view to see the beast.

"What?"

Gathering Bismuth and Peridot, the trio all took the nearest Warp Pad to the Beach House, ready for whatever potential threat this monster might bring. However, they saw the front of the house all but destroyed and the roof was torn asunder. Quickly hurrying down to the beach, they saw Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst, Connie, Greg, and Jasper all staring up at the monster, seemingly trying to speak to it.

"Just calm down, son! Take deep breaths! DEEP. BREATHS!"

"Yeah, relax, buddy!"

"My Diamond! Stop!"

The monster didn't listen and slammed its claw down furiously, forcing the group to jump back as Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth all joined them.

"Let's hurry up and clobber that thing!" Peridot squeaked.

"Stand down!" Garnet ordered, much to their confusion. However, it was then Lapis noticed someone wasn't with the others.

"Where's Steven?!"

Peridot gasped as she feared the worst. "Did that monster eat Steven?!"

"No...that IS Steven!" Pearl said, running up to Garnet's side.

"SAY WHAT?!" The three Crystal Temps gasped in disbelief as they looked up at the creature and sure enough, near its stomach was a familiar pink diamond gem.

The monster that was once Steven let out another screech of unbridled self-hatred before smashing its face into the mountainside, causing a rockslide as the Gems and humans present all ran to safety. Lion, who had been disturbed from his slumber earlier, realized what was happening and quickly scooped up Connie on his back.

"He's not listening to us at all!" Amethyst breathed heavily as Pearl bit her thumb worriedly, looking at the monster her baby boy had turned into after giving into his self-hatred and despair. Her stomach churned when she saw the trail of blood running down its face from smashing it into the mountain.

"This is what happens when a Diamond becomes corrupted..." Jasper said weakly, the normally proud and fierce Quartz now reduced to a shell-shocked child in the presence of the person who had given her purpose in the worst way.

"W-We can change him back, can we?!" Connie asked as she turned to Garnet, who hung her head down.

"As long as he believes he's a monster, he'll stay one."

Steven roared as he began climbing up the mountain, a look of terror and pain in his eyes as he looked over the town, his home, but he could see the countless people staring at him in horror before running away. Former Mayor Dewey, Sour Cream, the Pizzas, Sadie, Shep, Onion, the Gems he had helped save from their Corruption, all of them saw him for the monster he was and he could not blame them.

"We gotta keep him away from the town!" Bismuth cried in worry, both for Steven and the townsfolk.

"Connie, do what you can to protect the townspeople!" Garnet ordered as the young girl turned to her with a look of disbelief.

"No! I can't leave him like this!"

"Just make sure everyone is safe and then come back as fast as you can!" Pearl said to her protege, who looked ready to protest before sighing in defeat. As for Lion, he looked equally worried for his master, staring at the monster as he slowly began climbing the mountainside.

"Lion...we need to get Lars and the Off-Colors!" Connie said to the immortal cat, who seemed to nod in understanding as Connie took a deep breath and ducked into his mane before making her way through where she could find Lars and the Off-Colors on their ship. After crawling out of his head, she landed on the floor of the Sun Incinerator.

"That human friend of Lars?" Asked Emerald, who, after the reformation of Era 3, ended up making peace with Lars and the Off-Colors and forming a relationship with him.

"Connie, what the heck is going on?!" Lars asked in surprise as Connie looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"You guys need to come to Earth! It's Steven!"

* * *

Back on Beach City, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst quickly fused into Alexandrite and moved to get Steven away from the town, grabbing onto his horns as firmly as she could.

"Steven! Calm down! It's us! Your family!"

Steven roared as he slammed Alexandrite into the side of the mountain, causing her to unfuse back into her three components. Pearl groaned as she fell first before being caught by Bismuth. Garnet regained her bearings and landed on her feet and Amethyst was caught by Jasper.

"Awww, you do care about me, sis..."

"Bismuth! We need to divert his attention!" Peridot exclaimed as she got on the bigger Gems' back and used her Ferrokinesis to make both of them float in the air. Bismuth turned her fist into a hammer and smacked the monster across the jaw, causing him to roar in pain and anger as he turned to them.

"That got his attention..."

"SORRY, STEVEN!"

Getting on all fours, Steven pounced towards the two Gems, who screamed in terror before Lapis acted quickly manipulating the ocean to form chains of water that shackled his arms and legs, pinning him down as he roared and struggled.

"I've got him, but I can't hold him forever!"

"Now what do we do?!" Amethyst said.

"We can't just leave him like this!" Pearl whimpered, looking at the state Steven was in. She could practically feel his fear, anger, and sadness all coming off him like a tidal wave. It was overwhelming everyone.

"My Diamond is strong! Surely he can recognize you all." Jasper said as if trying her best to reassure the others, but all this got from her were dirty looks in response.

"Oh shut it, you clod!" Peridot snapped as she and Bismuth flew down before the Sun Incinerator flew into view and landed down, Lars, Connie, and the Off-Colors getting off as Lion ran up beside the Gems. As soon as he got a look at what his friend had turned into, Lars nearly fell on his ass from the sheer fear he felt.

"H-Holy shit...T-THAT'S STEVEN?!"

"W-What happened?! Who did this to him?!" Rhodonite panicked, putting her larger hands to her head while her smaller hands fiddled their fingers nervously.

"Has...he...been...corrupted?" Softly spoke Fluorite, looking very worried.

"GAH! WHAT HAPPENED TO STEVEN?!" Padparadscha screeched, her Retrocognition kicking into full gear once more.

Suddenly, a band bus drove in as Sadie, Shep, Sour Cream, the Pizza Sisters, Buck Dewey, and even Onion all got out to see the monster, struggling violently against the chains holding him down.

"Oh my god...Steven..." Sadie whimpered as she covered her mouth. She couldn't believe the happy little boy she had known practically her whole life had been transformed into this abomination. She could practically see the fear in his black eyes. Shep placed a hand on their girlfriend's shoulder. They may not have known Steven as long as Lars and Sadie have but they knew he was a nice guy, even if their initial meeting was a little unfriendly.

"What happened to him? This isn't the Steven I know!" Sour Cream exclaimed as Onion spoke in his unique dialect, a tinge of worry could be recognized as well.

"H-He broke down..." Greg said softly. "W-We didn't know how badly he was hurting, we should have DONE something!"

"I know...WHY DIDN'T I DO ANYTHING?!" Amethyst cursed herself, clutching her head as Pearl choked out a sob.

"Deep inside that...MONSTER...Steven must be in so much pain..."

"Guys, STOP!" Connie exclaimed. "Feeling sorry about ourselves isn't going to work! We need to reach out to him!"

"Connie's right. Steven needs us now more than ever." Garnet said sternly.

"But how? No offense but none of us really have Steven's cool powers." Buck said with his hands in his pockets.

"That doesn't matter. Steven was always there for us! Now we need to be here for him!" Sadie said, gaining a more determined expression.

"Right. From what Sadie's told me, Steven has given so much for all of you, I think it's time you all did the same for him!" Shep declared while also standing their ground, showing they were going to stand with the others.

Suddenly, a shadow flew overhead as everyone looked up to see the Diamond Ship flying down into view. Jasper immediately stood at attention, doing the old Homeworld Salute before Amethyst slapped her hands down, giving her 'sister' a dirty look in response.

"Yoo-hoo! Steven!" Came Spinel's cheery voice.

"Is this a bad time?" Blue Diamond's voice chimed in next with a bit of worry.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Amethyst grumbled as Spinel hopped out first when the ship parked itself, holding out Steven's missing sandal.

"You forgot your foot-thong thingy~!" The Former Best Friend of Pink sang before noticing the monster. "OOOOHHH-WAH!"

The rest of the Diamonds disembarked their ship as they noticed everyone gathered together in front of the struggling behemoth, who seemed to start thrashing harder and harder when he noticed their presence.

"What is going on here?" Yellow asked, standing on guard as Spinel climbed onto her shoulder.

"Why is something like this always happening when we show up for a visit?" White said in an annoyed tone, recalling not too long ago when they came to Earth after the incident with Spinel.

"What is that thing?" Blue softly spoke, rather perturbed by the monster.

"That THING is STEVEN!" Garnet said sternly, causing the Diamonds and Spinel to collectively gasp in horror and disbelief.

"What?!"

"Impossible!"

"I-Is he...C-CORRUPTED?" Blue whimpered. She, the Diamonds, and Spinel had seen just how bad a place Steven was in when he fled Homeworld when trying to get help from them. They had come not just to return his lost sandal, but also to check up and see if he was doing alright.

"Yeah, it's really bad. Can you help us in calming him down?" Connie asked.

"I think I can help with that." Blue said as she conjured one of her clouds and blew it towards Steven, the cloud hit and he seemed to settle slightly, even smiling a bit before frowning, his struggling slightly calmed down.

"Oh my...he really must be suffering..." Blue whispered, covering her mouth as she saw the sorrowful state Steven was in.

"Alright, he's calm now. I think perhaps if I connect with him and he speaks through me, maybe we'll understand what he's going through."

White gently approached Steven as he stared at her, almost fearfully as she closed her eyes, colors flashing around the two of them as she reached into Steven's mind as carefully as she could so as not to agitate him.

"Do you hear me, Steven? Just relax and let me in."

The colors flashed through Steven's eyes as they widened in horror, remembering when he tried to shatter White Diamond not too long ago. His mind then fractured into different scenarios, of him actually breaking White Diamond's gem to him going on to break the other Diamond's gems and then destroy Homeworld in a rage. Roaring in terror, he began resisting as White suddenly screamed, her eyes flashing pink before collapsing.

"WHITE!" Yellow and Blue cried as they ran to her side. White took several deep breaths before looking at the monster with horror.

"T-That's not Steven anymore!"

At his wit's end, Steven roared further as he broke free of the shackles Lapis was using to hold him back, causing the Azure Gem to spiral down to the ground, only for Garnet to quickly catch her. His horns glowing, Steven opened his mouth wide as dark pink plasma began forming.

"LOOK OUT!" Amethyst screamed as the Gems and humans all ran out of the way. Steven let loose a blast of plasma reminiscent of the very legendary monster that his form was inspired by. The beam cut through the sand, turning it into glass from the sheer heat, and then struck Diamond's ship, completely obliterating it in a massive explosion.

"Man...that is some serious Godzilla shit right there!" Sour Cream said, having grabbed Onion when he dodged out of the way with the others.

"Hey! Maybe I can help him!" Spinel said as she coiled her legs into a spring and bounced towards Steven, landing on his snout.

"Hey, Steven! Calm down! It's fine, you're friends are here!"

Steven struggled as he shook his head, trying to get Spinel off of him but the rubbery Gem held on tightly.

"Come on, Steven! This isn't you! Remember what you told me? That Iiiiiii~ I can make a chaaaaange~!"

Spinel's singing caused Steven to screech before grabbing her off his face and spinning her around like a bola before throwing her directly at White, causing them both to be tied up with each other.

"S-Sorry!" Spinel squeaked as she untangled herself off of White, who was still reeling after being inside Steven's head.

"White, what did you see?!" Yellow asked worriedly.

Tears began forming in the Gem Matriarch's eyes as her breathing tightened. "I...I saw...such anger, and self-hatred, and fear! And beneath that, an intense feeling of hopelessness and despair!"

"Oh, my stars..." Blue whispered, covering her mouth as Steven, now free of his shackles, slowly rose but didn't seem to make a move, he just looked around, fearfully before roaring and then grabbing at his face.

"W-What's he doing?!" Jenny asked.

"No...STEVEN, DON'T!" Connie screamed, realizing what Steven was about to do, but it was too late. Scratching his face, the beast left a massive, hideous set of claw marks over his entire face, large droplets of ruby blood dripping down and splashing into the ocean. The sight was so sickening, that Garnet forcefully unfused back into Ruby and Sapphire while most of the humans almost puked.

Before Steven could further claw away at his body, a familiar giant hand formed from the earth's crust. The Cluster grabbed around his arms and waist, doing its best to hold him back from hurting himself.

"Look! The Cluster is here!" Peridot pointed out as Steven struggled as best he could against the massive hold.

"Are you okay?!" Lapis cried as she ran over to Ruby and Sapphire, the latter crying her single eye out.

"If we don't get through to him, he'll stay like this forever!"

"Oh god, why is he doing that to himself?!" Sadie sobbed as Greg took a few steps back.

"Dude! You and the other humans need to run!" Amethyst said but the fear in Greg's heart gave away to anger towards himself.

"NO! Every time Gem stuff happens, I run the other way! But this is MY SON! And he has a right to be angry because I didn't protect him!"

"You didn't protect him from us!" Blue whimpered, tears building up in her eyes. "He's like this because of us!"

Yellow hugged Blue close, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as well. "We're the source of Steven's suffering!"

Spinel burst into tears as the weight of all that was going on crashed into her like a meteorite. White let the tears forming in her eyes drop as she hugged the poor little Gem close to her.

"This is my fault!"

"S-Spinel, don't say that! Everybody knows this is all because of me!" White said, trying to console the rubber Gem through her own tears but Spinel looked up at her with eyes full of shame and remorse.

"NO, it's because of ME! I tried to wipe his friend's memories so he could die alone on a barren world!" It was her worst shame, Spinel knew it. Even after all the horrible things she did to him, Steven knew she had been hurting because of Pink Diamond leaving her in the garden for 6000 years. He still reached out to her, told her she could make a change, and now look at the state he was in now.

White finally let the dam broke as she hugged Spinel tightly. "But that was because you were angry with Pink, and if Pink hurt you, it was because I hurt her! Like I hurt Yellow, and Blue, and Steven, and everyone in the entire universe! This is all my fault!"

After being proven that Steven was his own person, that Pink Diamond was well and truly gone, White Diamond had come to realize just how flawed her old ideals where. If she could go back in time, she'd slap her past self in the face silly. All of the harm she had inflicted on her subjects, her own daughters, due to her misguided beliefs of perfection, had all led to this point and she knew she had nobody to blame but herself.

"Dammit!" Lars cursed furiously, stomping his foot down. "I'm not leaving Steven like this! He was there for all of us, even at our lowest, we should be there for him too!"

"Lars is right!" Connie said as she turned to everyone. "You hurt him, we ALL did, but this isn't the time to make this all about us! That is not helping! Maybe Steven would care how sad we are because he always puts everyone else's feelings first! But he can't do that for us right now, because he needs us this time! We all had Steven when we needed him, but the only person who's never had Steven is _Steven_! He's always been there for us, so...How can we be there for him NOW?!

Everyone all looked at each other before nodding their heads. Lars turned to Connie and smiled at her, both of them nodding at each other as Lion walked up beside them. Ruby and Sapphire smiled before fusing back into Garnet, who donned her visor.

"I know how...Yellow, make me as big as him!"

Yellow wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. "Right!"

"Blue, lift everyone up!"

"Of course!"

"Everyone, get in line!"

"You got it!" Everybody chimed in together.

"It's time to show Steven...some LOVE."

Onion cheered in his native tongue as Sour Cream translated for him.

"He said 'LET'S AGGRESSIVELY STRANGLE STEVEN WITH LOVE!'."

"That little guy is right on the money there," Sadie said, nodding her head.

With Steven, he managed to break free from the Cluster's hold and turned furiously back to the beach before suddenly seeing everyone rush towards him.

_**"STEVEN!"** _

Garnet, now the same size as the Diamonds, jumped into the air and tackled Steven to the ground, holding him close as he struggled and roared in terror.

"Steven, when I fell apart, you were there for me. I want to be there for you now." Garnet whispered, hugging him close. "I'm here, Steven. I'm here."

Steven slowly paused as Lapis flew up to him. "This is working? You can hear us? STEVEN!"

The Diamonds, the Gems, and the humans all joined in the hug as best they could, clutching to Steven like a life-line while White kept her distance, knowing how badly she had hurt Steven in the past and knowing she was not exactly the one who should be hugging him with the others. Spinel bounced in and stretched her arms around, pulling everyone together.

"I'm here, Schtuball! Whatever you need, I'll make it happen! You hear me?!"

"STEVEN! You never gave up on me for some reason I don't understand! I'LL DO THE SAME FOR YOU!"

"I know you feel bad! Believe me, I get it! Sometimes it feels like you're never gonna like yourself but..." Amethyst sniffed before smiling through her tears. "It's possible, man!"

"Steven, I know how awful it feels to keep a part of yourself secret! You shouldn't have to hide anything from me!"

"My Diamond!" Jasper cried. "I know that I hurt you...but you must believe in those who follow you! Just like they believe in you!"

"Steven! You helped show me that violence and anger weren't the answer!" Bismuth screamed. "Don't go back on your own advice! That's not who you are!"

"Steven! Even after how much of a jerk I was to you back then, you still showed me kindness and understanding! You saved my life! Now let me save yours!" Lars said, feeling tears build up in his eyes.

"Steven, I know we don't know each other that well...but even if your friends drift away, they'll still be with you in your heart!" Shep said as gently as he could.

"Shep is right! No matter how far we may be from each other, we'll always have each other in our hearts and memories! Don't abandon them, Steven!" Sadie cried.

Onion spoke as well in his own dialect as he hugged close to Steven. Even though he and Steven had a rather...odd and crazy relationship, Steven still showed him friendship and kindness, something that he deeply appreciated all the same.

Connie and Lion used a portal to get on Steven's snout, Lion nuzzling his head against the area between Steven's eyes, his mane gently caressing him. Connie sighed as she got off Lion and placed her hands gently on his face.

"Steven... you must have been so afraid to show us this side of yourself. But we're not going anywhere. We're all gonna take care of you the same way you take care of us. You know what? I don't have your powers, but..."

With those words, Connie finished with a kiss, tears falling down her face as Steven froze up, tears billowing in his own eyes as he saw everyone showing how much they loved him...love that he didn't deserve.

**"Stay..."**

"Stay?" Pearl gently asked.

 **"Stay...AWAY FROM ME!"** Steven roared as he pushed himself away. Blue quickly created her clouds to catch the humans and smaller gems as Steven backed away, tears running down his face.

"Schtuball! You're talking!" Greg exclaimed, partly relieved as Steven bowed his head in shame.

**"Everyone...thank you...but I've hurt you too much...I can't change back..."**

"W-What do you mean you can't change back?" Connie asked worriedly.

**"I can't change back...what if this happens again? What if I just end up hurting you all once more...even now that you know the truth, what's stopping me from repeating history? I'm sorry, I love you, you're my family, thank you for being there for me...but I can't stay."**

Steven then reached into his belly and with a fierce tug, ripped his gem out, blood drizzled out of the hole as he threw it in the ground and turned before running off.

 _ **"STEVEN!"**_ Everyone screamed in despair as the massive figure disappeared into the distance, leaving everyone frozen in place, staring at his retreating form.

Even after learning they still loved him, that they would support him, Steven feared that he would still be a danger to everyone he loved...he fled. He ran as far away from the home he knew for so very long. He knew he could never go back to being the happy little boy he was. He knew that ultimately, as much as it hurt him to do this one final selfish act...he had to leave his family behind.

With everyone else, they continued staring in defeat and sorrow before Pearl covered her mouth and broke the silence with a sob. Bismuth teared up as she hugged her girlfriend close, Greg angrily punching the cloud he was laying on with defeat as he watched helplessly as his son vanished over the horizon. Lion bowed his head as everyone broke down right then and there.

Because at that moment, their Steven...had truly been lost forever.

* * *

On the sandy shores of Mask Island, some Watermelon Stevens were all playing Beach Volleyball. Cactus Steven had joined them and was watching before noticing something shiny wash up on the beach. Walking over, the cactus creature saw a sparkling pink diamond gem and gently picked it up in his bushy hands.

"P...Papa..." The lifeform spoke, recognizing the gem as his creators before it suddenly started glowing brightly, forming a distinguishingly female shape before dropping to the ground.

This caught the attention of the other Watermelon Stevens present as they ran over to see who this new person was as she got up weakly, tears in her eyes as she saw the sentient fauna staring at her.

"I...I shouldn't even be here..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUN! BET YOU NEVER EXPECTED THAT, DID YOU?! DID YOU?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
> 
> THE ANGUISH SUSTAINS ME! THIS IS THE TRAGEDY I CRAVE!
> 
> Also, oh wow, Pink Diamond is back. How will this change things? Find out next time on DRAGON BALL Z!


	3. Search & Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."
> 
> -Paul Boose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I felt bad about leaving you all on a cliffhanger in the last chapter, so here's the next chapter, on me!

It had been two weeks since Steven fled from his loved ones. Despite the heartbreak that came, this soon gave way to a determination to find and rescue Steven more than ever. Lars, Emerald, and the Off-Colors all used the Sun Incinerator to search every corner of the Earth from top to bottom. The Diamonds and Spinel were currently stranded due to Steven destroying their ship and many Gems and humans from Beach City and Little Homeworld banded together to form search parties around the world, using the Warp Pads to get across faster.

However, there were still some deeply affected by Steven's disappearance. Garnet had permanently unfused into Ruby and Sapphire, the only solace being the two of them still supporting each other. The Diamonds had all shrunken to the size of humans, with Blue wallowing in depression similar to how when she believed Pink had been shattered.

It was even worse with Pearl. Bismuth, Amethyst, Connie, and Greg had found her attempting to shatter her own Gem on several occasions and had to stop her. Pearl struggled, screaming how she had hurt Steven the most out of the Crystal Gems, forcing her issues on him from back when he was just a baby when it wasn't fair to Rose's wishes and Steven himself.

With Greg, he had been solemnly sitting in his van, playing on his guitar as a means of comforting himself. The Sadie Killers also sang some melancholic songs to their fans while traveling around to find Steven. Their cover of _Everybody Knows_ got a million hits in just an hour.

All in all, as hard as they were trying, there was still an underlying air of sorrow surrounding everyone, both Gem and Human. But soon, something would change.

* * *

"So this is Beach City...it's changed so much since I was last here..." Whispered a tall female figure in a cloak. Walking through, she looked around, found memories resonating inside her before bumping into a small figure, which turned out to be Connie.

"O-Oh! I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?"

Connie dusted herself off. "No, it's fine. H-Have you seen Steven around anywhere?"

"Steven...I was hoping to ask you where I could find him..." The woman said, pulling down her hood as Connie's eyes widened in shock, recognizing the pink-skinned face and poofy light pink hair.

"I-I think I should bring you to the others!"

* * *

"GUYS! I THINK WE GOT A LEAD ON STEVEN!" Lars cried as he parked the Sun Incinerator and ran outside with the rest of the Off-Colors and Emerald. This caused everyone present to perk up as they joined up together.

"You have? Where?!" Sapphire asked hopefully.

"Somewhere in Japan! There was a news article about someone sighting what looked like a real-life Godzilla! That has to be him!"

"We need to gather everyone together! Steven needs us!" Amethyst said but then Connie ran in with a hooded figure trying desperately to cover their face.

"Wait, guys! You won't believe who I just found!"

"Who is this?"

The hooded figure looked hesitant to show themself but a look from Connie caused it to comply as it pulled back its hood. Pearl gasped, covering her mouth while Spinel's jaw dropped cartoonishly. Greg looked amazed at who he was seeing while the humans looked confused, tilting their heads.

"Huh, why does she look so familiar?" Sour Cream asked himself as Pink Diamond sighed.

"Hello, everyone...I'm sorry but...I shouldn't even be here..."

Silence...and then a giant fist punched Pink in the face, causing her to stumble back as everyone turned to see Spinel, her shocked expression had changed to one of anger.

"You...YOU...!"

Pouncing forward, Spinel had to be grabbed and forcefully restrained by Lapis, Jasper, Bismuth, and Amethyst to avoid outright killing Pink right then and there. The Diamonds, who had been wallowing in self-pity back at the Beach House, came outside to see the shocking sight.

"It can't be...P-Pink?!" Blue gasped as White saw Spinel trying to attack her while Greg moved to help his long-thought dead wife up.

"Whoa, Rose! So...this is what you really look like, huh?" The older man said as Pink sighed sadly, looking at her husband with eyes of remorse before hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Greg...If only I knew...!"

"Stop..." Bismuth said, putting Spinel down, the rubbery Gem having calmed down somewhat but was still breathing heavily in anger. The blacksmith walked up to the true form of her former leader and sighed, keeping an iron gaze on her.

"Steven helped us put the past behind us...but we weren't there to help him do the same. I can't say I forgive you...none of us really can for all the mistakes you left behind for us to clean up...but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt if you want to help us rescue him."

"Yes..." Pink said weakly. "Yes, I understand..."

"Pink...is that really you...?" Whispered Yellow weakly. Pink turned to see the other three Diamonds, now shrunken to the same size as her and looking like absolute hell.

"What do you three want? Can't you see you've already done enough?" The youngest Diamond said, her sadness being masked by anger to her former abusers that started her down the path of becoming Rose Quartz and starting the rebellion.

"Pink, please..." White begged but Pink didn't want to hear it.

"SHUT IT! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULTS! IF ONLY YOU HAD LISTENED AND STOPPED TREATING ME LIKE SOME CHILD! I...I wouldn't have realized how beautiful Earth was..." Pink said, calming down as her rationality helped settle her rage. She sighed before continuing.

"I could see everything from Steven's Gem. I did say I'd always be a part of him...and the things you did to him...the other Gems...I will NEVER forgive any of you...but he gave you the benefit of the doubt...and so for right now, I will too."

"Rose..." Pearl softly said, carefully approaching her former Diamond as Pink turned to her with a solemn expression, her eyes full of guilt as she saw the hurt in her old companion's eyes.

"My Pearl...no, you're your own Pearl now...I'm sorry I left you as I did...but it wasn't fair to Steven either...and I'm going to fix my mistakes. That's my duty as a mother, right?"

"It's OUR duty as his mothers..." Pearl responded. Pink nodded as Lars cleared his throat.

"If the tearfest is done, we need to hurry! We don't know how long Steven is gonna stay in one place!"

"Hold on! I need to bring a little something with me. It'll be the only thing to keep him from running away again." Bismuth chimed in as Peridot realized what she was saying and turned to Lapis, who nodded as she picked her up and flew off to get what they needed.

* * *

Steven walked through the forests near Japan, having slightly shrunk to the height of the trees as he wandered aimlessly, no set path in sight for him.

His mind had become foggy, blood continued dripping from the hole where his Gem had once been before he ripped it out. He honestly was starting to forget why he was here in the first place. His heart and soul becoming more in tune with the beast he had turned into.

Suddenly, he heard a voice. Was it familiar, it sounded like it, he couldn't remember but he could still make it out what it was saying.

"Oh scary corrupted version of my friend Steven, where are you?" It was a voice belonging to a girl, he didn't know who it was but he could distinctly make out that it was nearby.

Growling, he moved to find the source so he could scare it off. He didn't want anybody near him or they might get hurt. If he had to be a monster, then so be it.

* * *

Peridot and Lapis had been flying through the forest of Japan where Steven had been spotted. Following close by on the ground were Sour Cream, Buck Dewey, Rhodonite, and Little Larimar.

"Perhaps when we hear Steven's screams it will lead us to him!" Larimar said as Rhodonite shivered.

"I don't think that's a good idea..."

Suddenly, growling was heard as everyone saw Steven, now slightly smaller but still undeniably huge, barreling through the trees, his jaws bared and an angered look in his eyes.

"Like...ZOINKS!" Sour Cream yelped, quoting a famous cartoon character as he and the others high-tailed it, just as they were instructed too.

"Sorry, buddy, eyes up here!" Lapis said, gathering water from a nearby pond and splashing it in Steven's face, causing him to growl in anger as he focused his attention on her, swiping his claws as she barely dodged.

"Steven, just follow us!" Peridot said. flying on her trash can lid as she and Lapis led Steven into an open space before a giant cage came into a flash of yellow lightning. Before he could try and get out, the door slammed shut as he screeched in fear, gripping at the bars as he banged his head violently against it, drawing more blood from the still fresh wound from earlier.

"I'm sorry, Steven..." Yellow said before holding both her hands out and firing a massive storm of electricity from her palms. Steven howled like a wounded animal as his entire body shrunk to a manageable size along with the cage. He then stumbled out as the cage opened, only for some kind of dome crashed down on top of him, once more trapping him as he banged against the glass weakly.

"Steven suggested I make this to keep certain types of Corrupted Gems contained when we found them back then..." Bismuth said sadly as she and everyone else gathered around their beloved friend, guilt eating away at them for having to hurt him to catch him.

"You made it WITH Steven...We never thought we would be using this ON Steven..." Pearl said, gently holding Bismuth's hand in her own as Larimar placed her hand against the dome.

"Oh, Steven...your screams are not the ones I wish to hear..."

* * *

Steven was now safely in a large den back at Beach City that had been made with help from the Gems of Little Homeworld. Yellow Pearl, Blue Pearl, and Volleyball were also there, being tasked with checking up to see if he was okay and not hurting himself.

"He seems to be calmed down, somewhat. But he seems paler and that human blood just keeps coming out of his stomach." Yellow Pearl said, wrinkling her nose as she recalled the blood dripping from his gemless belly button.

"My baby boy...I'm so sorry..." Pink whispered as she looked over Steven. Greg held his wife close as they saw the sorrowful state of their son.

"What are we going to do, guys?" Amethyst asked weakly as Connie had a steeled gaze, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"'DO'? This is STEVEN! This is our FRIEND! We'll find a cure for him...whatever it takes..."

Connie walked into the den and Steven turned to her, just vaguely recognizing her as he crawled over before leaning his head into her palm, which gently rubbed his snout comfortingly.

"Whatever it takes..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking some inspirations from the Arc in the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show where Donatello became a monster.


	4. Hush Little Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pink Diamond steps in

"This is troubling..." Blue Zircon muttered as she looked through the statistics on Steven's condition after collecting a sample of his blood, she had gotten to work on looking at what was wrong with him and how they could heal his Corruption.

"What's troubling?" Yellow Diamond asked as she, Blue, and White were all gathered together to hear the statistics. Pink, Connie, and Greg were also there while Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst looked after Steven.

"Do you want the short version or the long version?"

"Whichever is fine, Zircon. Go right ahead." Blue said gently as the former lawyer sighed, adjusting her monocle.

"It's about Steven Universe's DNA. Since he removed his Gem, his human half has been collapsing on itself. His cells are breaking down slowly by every minute. If we don't find a way to return his gem back into him, he'll...cease to be."

The Diamonds all gasped while Greg looked horrified only for Connie to angrily punch the wall next to her.

"That's NOT going to happen! We need to do all we can to save Steven!" The young girl then turned to Pink. "And I think you might be one of the few people who can reach him at this point."

"Your right..." Pink said, nodding her head sadly. "I'm the reason he's like this, I should be the one to help him out of it."

* * *

Steven whimpered as he curled into himself. Everything hurt too much, he didn't know what was wrong with him, why was he here again? Did he do something bad? The pain was driving him insane and he didn't know why it existed. Why did he exist?

"STEVEN!"

Hearing a melodious voice, he turned to see a tall pink lady who wasn't as big as him, probably reached to his chest at best. She slowly approached him as he nervously crawled over to her, a slight hint of fear in his eyes as he recognized the diamond in her belly.

"Steven, it's me, it's your mother...I know it hurts and I know you probably can't recognize me. No, you probably HATE me and I can't blame you..."

The woman gently placed her hands over his cheeks. He wanted to attack but also didn't. It was like she was trying to make sure he was safe.

"You're scared you'll be like me, Steven, but you are you. You've made many mistakes but you just need to find it in your heart to forgive yourself for your mistakes. Don't fall down the same path I did...learn and improve, you have so many people who love you for who you are...don't leave them, Steven."

A pair of lips were pressed against his forehead as he felt something wet running down his face, oh, they were his tears. Suddenly, the woman began glowing as the diamond in her belly cracked in half before splitting. Both halves regenerating into two perfect diamonds, one going into his own stomach, stopping the blood flow and the other going back into her own stomach.

Steven growled softly, feeling much better. The pain had disappeared and he felt happy almost. He then laid down as Pink gently put a hand on his forehead and began singing a song as he drifted to sleep.

_Hush, little Baby, don't say a word,_

_Mama's gonna buy you a Mockingbird._

_And if that mockingbird don't sing,_

_Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring._

_And if that diamond ring turns brass,_

_Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass._

_And if that looking glass gets broke,_

_Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat,_

_And if that billy goat won't pull,_

_Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull,_

_And if that cart and bull turn over,_

_Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover._

_And if that dog named Rover won't bark,_

_Mama's gonna buy you a horse and a cart._

_And if that horse and cart fall down,_

_You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, but I hope I provided the necessary feels. Also, the reason Pink Diamond's gem broke in half and then regenerated into two gems so both she and Steven could exist is bullshit, I take responsibility for that. But I want an excuse for everyone to have a happy ending.
> 
> Next will be the penultimate chapter, where everyone comes to help Steven.


	5. Let the Universe Save You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The universe comes back to save Steven

"Steven?"

Steven looked to see Garnet approaching him. The monster let out a soft purr as the Fusion placed her hands on his cheeks gently, looking right into his eyes. He could see her own three eyes through her visor, the beautiful loving relationship of Ruby and Sapphire put into one gorgeous and wonderful Gem.

"I said I'd be here for you, Steven, and I meant it. Please, just look at me. Know that we all love you for who you are, faults and all. You saw through all of our worst parts and gave us love. Let us do the same for you."

Next was Pearl, she had tears welling up in her eyes as she wrapped her slender arms around his scaly neck, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Steven! I know how hard it must be having to hide such a terrible secret. Believe me, I know how it feels. I should have told you from the beginning, it wasn't fair to you or anyone else! After helping me, after helping all of us with our emotions, we need to give that same love back to you!"

Then it was Amethyst, wrapping her arms around his waist while hugging him close.

"Hey, Ste-Man, look, I know you didn't want me helping you, but I should've been sticking by you every step of the way. I know it must be hard, not loving yourself...but we love you! We love you for who you are, you're Steven Universe, the kid who helped make so many lives better! Let's make your life better too, okay man?"

Steven grumbled and closed his eyes, a part of him felt terrible for making the Gems worry but seeing them come to him, to make him feel better...it started to open him up.

_"Garnet...Amethyst...Pearl...why...why are you being so nice to me? After all that I did?"_

Suddenly, the three Gems began to sing. It was a loving melody filled with the love of two mothers and a sister. The family that he had known all his life.

_If you're evil and you're on the rise_   
_You can count on the four of us taking you down_   
_'Cause we're good and evil never beats us_   
_We'll win the fight and then go out for pizzas_   
_We are the Crystal Gems_   
_We'll always save the day_   
_And if you think we can't_   
_We'll always find a way_   
_That's why the people of this world believe in..._

"Garnet..."

"...Amethyst..."

...And Pearl..."

 **"And...S...Steven..."** Steven growled out gently, pink tears in his eyes. The Crystal Gems all smiled at him, their own eyes moist as Garnet dispelled her visor, all of them looking at him with love.

"We love you, Steven...don't ever forget that."

* * *

"Hey, Schtu-Ball..."

 _"Dad..."_ Steven thought. His heart still ached with guilt over nearly killing him when he crashed the car. He should have understood just how miserable his father was back in his old home life and while his method of raising him wasn't exactly the best, he still wanted Steven to live his own life, be his own person, as Rose would have wanted.

"Look, I know I haven't been there for you. Trust me, I understand that you went through a whole lot of stuff with the Gems but I thought you wanted to be with them more. I just wanted you to have the life that you wanted to choose that I never got with my family. I realize now that I should have been there for you more...I'm sorry, son, I promise that whatever you want, I'll make it happen. We can do something every day, I'll make sure you're happy!"

 **"Dad..."** Steven growled out before pressing his forehead to his father's own. Greg gently wrapped his arms around the scaly body of his son. Monster or not, he was still his little boy and he refused to let go.

* * *

"Steven...?"

The soft, squeaky voice of Peridot caught Steven's attention as he saw the little green gem come in along with Lapis and Bismuth, all three looked at him with worry, as if they were afraid they might hurt him in some way.

"Hey, Steven, it's us..." Lapis softly said. "We just want you to know that we're here for you. Just like you were here for all of us. Even after we hurt you, you still welcomed us into your family with open arms. You still showed us love and understanding and compassion that I don't think anybody else would have given us."

Bismuth smiled. "Yeah, you helped me realize that violence wasn't the way. You helped me find the courage to be with the Gem I love...you helped me move on from Rose and prove that you're better than she ever was."

Peridot hugged Steven, followed by Bismuth and then Lapis.

"We love you, Steven. We forgive you just like you forgave us."

* * *

"My Diamond...no, Steven..."

 _"Jasper..."_ Steven thought with slight fear. Every time he looked at her, he felt disgusted at himself. He had shattered her so callously. He still couldn't forgive himself for that act, despite what everyone else was trying to tell him.

"When I first met you, I saw you as nothing but Rose Quartz, the Gem that shattered my Diamond. Then, when I realized that Rose and Pink were the same and you were your own person, I was lost, I had no purpose. When you came to me and offered to fight, I felt like I finally had some form of purpose again. Then you shattered me...showing your strength...and I called you my Diamond."

Steven backed away, growling weakly as he avoided eye contact. Jasper sighed, knowing that she was not getting anywhere but still pressed on in hopes of trying to reassure the troubled monster.

"But now, I realize you don't want to be a Diamond, you want to be an organic, a HUMAN. I respect your strength now and what you want to be...but you will still be my Diamond not because of your strength...but because of who you are as your own person. Someone who tried to show me kindness...and I simply brushed it away."

Jasper turned and walked away, her head bowed as Steven watched her leave. The monster looked down softly, feeling his heart beating out once more.

* * *

"Hey, sunshine..."

Spinel skipped into view, a melancholic expression on her face as Steven looked at her. he couldn't find it in his heart to hate her or be mad. She had been hurt by his mother, left in the garden for so many years, scared and alone. She was honestly the one enemy he empathized with the most out of all the Gems who had tried to kill him in the past.

**"Spinel..."**

"Look, I know what I did was unforgivable back then. Rejuvenating your friends, trying to destroy your home...but then you told me I could make a change. And now I know you can make a change too. You're thinkin' you're not good at all? Well, to me, you're perfect. You're Steven Universe."

Spinel then stretched her arms around Steven, hugging him close to her squishy cheeks as she began to sing the song he once sang to her, but it wasn't silly or goofy...it was actually melodious and gentle.

_You can make it different,_

_You can make it right._

_You can make it better,_

_We don't have to fight!_

_You can make an effort,_

_Starting with tonight!_

_'Cuz you,_

_You can make a...change._

* * *

"Steven..."

White walked up to Steven. Both Blue and Yellow were beside her. Both of them had shrunk to the size of humans in order to make sure they could fit in the makeshift den that Steven was in. The monster looked at them rather fearfully as he slowly crawled away from them.

"Steven...I know we hurt you the most out of everybody. We hurt Pink and that's what led her to hurt so many others when she had only wanted to help them...we started this...it should be us who can help fix this."

White gently wrapped her arms around Steven and he began struggling. He felt a wave of anger flow through him and on instinct, he violently bit down on White's back, his jaws wedging through her cape and into her light-based body. The Gem Matriarch winced as Yellow and Blue gasped but White didn't let go, she simply held on tighter.

"We're sorry, Steven...I'M sorry...you can shatter me if you want...but don't leave us forever...we're your family."

Steven calmed down, breathing heavily as he felt the sincerity in White's words. He then felt Yellow and Blue circle him, hugging him as well. Blue then began singing, a motherly tune that Steven recalled her singing back on Homeworld, it relaxed his heart and soul.

_Cold palace walls_

_And endless empty halls_

_Haunted by echoes of laughter_

_You gave a pull_

_And suddenly they're full_

_You've thrown the gates open after you_

_And swept in with the throng_

_Comes this wonderful song!_

_My little reason why..._

_I'll never make you cry_

_Oh I have got the sweetest things_

_to tell you every day_

_My little reason why..._

_You make me want to try_

_Loving you_

White chimed in, her own singing voice echoing through Steven's ears.

_Have I not been a good queen?_

_Have my choices not come from love?_

_Could they say I'm wrong?_

_Cause I won't submit to fear?_

_There is no shame in truth_

_And I acted true_

_I'm a prisoner of my heart now_

_I have taken my stand_

_Taken command_

_Played my hand_

_I'm alive_

_I had to survive_

_My destiny has spoken at last to me_

_Reveal the path_

_A journey through Hell_

_Am I what a queen must be?_

_Unimagined is my pain_

_Magnified by my solitude_

_Terror, desolation_

_Oh, my despair_

_So long that I'm half insane_

_With tears of grief_

_No one else would ever share_

_Can I not be a good queen?_

_Moments are wasting away_

_God, let me get through this day_

_In my quiet desperation_

_Guide me in my isolation_

_Isolation_

_Isolation_

_Isolation_

* * *

**"Connie..."**

"Hey, Steven..."

Connie, Lars, Sadie, Shep, all of the humans were there besides Greg. They all sat down beside him with empathy in their eyes, all of them gathering around like he was a friend in need.

"Hey, little man. Man, you really got the Godzilla Look down par, huh?" Jenny giggled, trying to add a little humor as Steven grumbled slightly. Sadie placed a hand on his head and rubbed it gently while holding Shep's hand in her other one.

"Steven...it's okay to be afraid. Change is scary, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad thing."

"Yeah, man. No matter how far away we might be, we'll always have each other in our hearts." Lars said gently with a smile. "You did so much for us, let us do the same for you. Let us SAVE you, buddy."

Connie pressed her forehead to Stevens's own, letting out a deep sigh as tears trickled out of her eyes.

"Steven...it's scary, I know, but everyone here...we love you. We'll keep saying it a million times if we have to, but we LOVE you. Even if you don't love yourself, that won't stop any of us from loving you...You saved the universe, now let the universe save you."

With that, Connie pressed her lips to Steven's own monstrous ones. The monster's eyes widened before they closed as he leaned into the kiss. His body suddenly began glowing brightly, before shrinking. Everyone gasped as the Gems and Greg all rushed in as what was once a monster was a teenage boy with curly black hair.

"Steven!"

Pearl quickly summoned a blanket out of her gem when she realized the boy had no clothes and draped it over his body. Steven slowly opened his eyes to see everyone looking at him, smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes as he sniffled before breaking out into sobs. Connie moved to wrap her arms around him, followed by Greg then Pearl, then Garnet, then Amethyst, then Lapis, and finally everyone else.

One huge cuddle pile was formed from both humans and gems but only one person was not involved...and it was Pink Diamond. Looking down, the one formerly known as Rose Quartz turned to leave before Lion suddenly grabbed her in his mouth and threw her into the pile.

"M-Mom...?" Steven whimpered as Pink weakly smiled, tears in her eyes.

"Hey, Steven..."

Steven suddenly hugged her the tightest and that's when the floodgates broke. Pink broke out into ugly sobs of her own, letting out guilt, sorrow, and relief pool off her as everyone resumed hugging each other and Steven.

They were together, a family, for one single moment, they were all at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like that? Next Chapter will be the ending.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some last things to talk about.

Steven Quartz Universe. The boy had been through so much. He had fought to protect his home, his family, his friends, and he had suffered because of it. But now, right now, he was getting the help he needed. His family, friends, and home were all fully prepared to give him the same love and devotion he gave them and they wouldn't stop until he learned just how much he meant to every single person he knew.

Pink Diamond's return on Homeworld was...lukewarm, at best. Most of the Gems had mostly gotten used to Steven but seeing the Diamond that had faked her death and then actually died brought back to life was a surreal experience. However, not many were willing to accept her after she had up and abandoned them. The former members of her court especially, believing that she faked her death and didn't tell them because ultimately, they believed she didn't care for them.

Pink Diamond's gem also breaking and splitting into two to sustain her and Steven was also looked into by Peridot. The Green Gem theorized that due to both Steven and Pink existing together at the same time but neither wanting to disappear, their Gem noticed this and split itself in two before regenerating itself with its healing magic to make two gems for both of them to sustain themselves.

Because of that, both Steven and Pink Diamond's powers had taken a massive downgrade due to having used so much energy to regenerate both halves into two entirely separate gems. However, Steven was just happy to have his Mom back, and ultimately, this was a good thing because they could finally talk things out and get to know each other better. Greg was certainly happy to have his family complete once more.

Bismuth eventually got to asking Pearl to marry her and that gave Peridot the courage to do the same for Lapis. Spinel ended up forming a relationship with Volleyball due to their shared trauma over what happened with Pink Diamond. Steven and Garnet both happily overlooked the weddings just like Steven himself did when Ruby and Sapphire got married.

Pink Diamond herself was happy that Pearl was able to find happiness with another Gem and move on from her. Connie also got one in by kissing Steven fully on the lips during Bismuth and Pearl's wedding reception, which cemented more than anything her unconditional love for her 'Jam Buddy'.

All in all, Beach City and Homeworld had once more returned to relative peace. Pink Diamond's return would certainly bring about changes, but Steven was assured that he wouldn't have to do it alone. His family, his friends, his home, they would all stand with him until the very end and that was all that mattered to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! MY FIRST COMPLETED FANFICTION! IT HAS TAKEN EONS AND THE DELETION OF COUNTLESS WORKS...BUT I HAVE DONE IT! I FINALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO MY NAME WORTH MENTIONING!
> 
> Anyway, thank you all for enjoying this dumb fanfiction and I hope to see you all next time!

**Author's Note:**

> How did you like this little taste? I swear, there will be more to come!
> 
> And things are only gonna get worse before they get better...


End file.
